First boolits looking for critiques

[AndFereira]

So I casted a few hundred boolits today and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Looking for advice and critiques about how they came out attached a few pictures.

-Casted on a master caster set at 700 degree's(no PID, but thermometer said it was 740ish degree's so i turned it down a bit till it got to 710-720ish).

-230 grain round nose no lube groove boolits

-bullet diameter measure at .453-.454 and weight is 230.38-231.34 grains

-alloy mix was 95% lead 2.2% tin and 2.8% antimony

-Water dropped them and tested hardness which came out to 10(about 15 minutes after casting)

-brand new machine and molds(not sure if i should have cleaned the molds? I didn't I just started casting)

-no mold release was used(should I be using one?)

-plan on hitek coating them and then resizing... But I dont have a sizer yet, figured one step at a time

And one question I have is: When I melt WW and when I was casting i would notice after I melted the lead, fluxed, and skimmed the dross. the lead would be all nice and shiny like a mirror but after a few minutes(5 or so) a skin would form on top of the lead. Is this just the lead being exposed to the oxygen? I would stop every so often and skim it off the top. I don't believe it is zinc because i had the lead tested with a XRF gun and it didn't show any zinc.

Let me know what you guys think! should I melt the boolits down and try again? are they mediocre or good? mold too hot, too cold? Anything else I should be concerned about?

Really excited to expand my reloading game

[OS OK]

I don't know 'spit' about a casting machine but...I can tell you this, they look great.
They look like good candidates for a PC job. (Powder Coating)

Looks like they ding each other a little on the drop but...what the heck, they still look great.

[runfiverun]

yes, oxidized lead.
I just leave it up there it stops more from forming..
they look good.
no mold release.
your BHN will increase, you'll hit about 16-17 in about 10-12 day's.

[TXGunNut]

Looking good! Never used a master caster, guess it could be fun to watch if everything goes right.

[AJG]

These bullets look better than my Hand cast (I have a Little wrinkle Problem). But the master caster is only a lead furnace with electrical controlled accesories. Manual casting should give the same Quality. But the noolits look flawless but mine are shinier (polished silver like but have wrinkles).

I may think in buying an Lee lead furnace in 220 Volt.

[AndFereira]

I'm gonna cast some more today and turn down the heat a little and see what happens. I feel like I'm gonna finish off all the lead I have really fast

[Cherokee]

Those look fine...whatever you did, keep doing it - except the skimming part, leave the oxide there.

[wlkjr]

I've been using a master caster for about 3 months. Those look great to me. I wouldn't change a thing. I also use Hi-Tek coating. Where did you get your grooveless mold?

[AndFereira]

Magmaenginering had the groove less molds I purchase them with the machine.

[Driver man]

Colour looks right, fill out ok, dont change anything.

[wlkjr]

Magmaenginering had the groove less molds I purchase them with the machine.
I wonder why they don't update their website to show all their molds.

[Bomberman]

I wouldn't hesitate to load and fire any of those. Nicely done. Don't change anything...you're doing great!

[AndFereira]

Second round of casting. Look roughly the same to me except the line between the molds seems a little more pronounced. I can feel it with my finger nail if I run it across. Also one side of the mold seems to be throwing a small burr on the bevel I can remove with my fingernail. Something to be concerned about? Tried to get a picture of it

[lwknight]

Check the molds very carefully for even super thin slivers of alloy built up on the face. It won't take but a few mils to make whiskers on the bullets.
Also don't worry about skimming. Just rake the dross out of the way enough to add new alloy. The reason to clear a path is to prevent getting oxidized material down under the fresh lead that sinks into the hotter mix.
Otherwise the boolits look great!

[runfiverun]

the halves are misaligned slightly

[Wayne Smith]

If your alloy is pure what you see on the surface is tin oxide. It is the first to oxidize. A little wax will get it back into the melt, you really don't want to lose it.

[randyrat]

I leave some Carbon (burnt saw dust) on top of the melt and stir, scrape with a wooden stick ever so often to prevent oxidizing..I stir right after the sprue cuts are put back into the pot and are melted.

Stirring with a wooden stick prevents plugging (with bottom pour pots). The Carbon prevents Oxidizing. That's my theory.

I use a DRY Oak stick and plunge it in SLOW , in case, there is some moisture.

Ditto with Wayne Smith-you are scraping Tin Sn off the top of the melt

[wlkjr]

I had a similar issue with a vertical smear that appeared to be caused by the mold coming apart at an odd angle. I sent it back to Magma who adjusted it. Just the shipping cost incurred was over $125 plus an adjustment charge. It did the very same thing when it came back. An adjustment in temperature and the timing of dropping the bullets is the key in eliminating that problem.

[BNE]

The stuff on top of your melt is tin oxide. And yes, if you scrape it off, you are removing tin from the mix, BUT NO WHERE NEAR A MEASUREABLE AMOUNT OF TIN WILL BE REMOVED. I have done a torture test where I ran a pot for hours at 800C+ and XrFed the scrapings and then the final mix at the end. There was no measureable difference.

Your bullets look great. Don't panic about the scum on top of the melt.

[AndFereira]

Well I think there is a little lead on one side of the mold. A boolit didn't drop free and it got caught between the two halves of the mold. It was pinched between the molds and I think it left some lead residue. I'm going to try and clean it up a bit and see what happens.

Thank you for all the info and help! I really appreciate it.